Corporate entities often use games and contests to promote their goods and services. For example, television networks broadcast TV game shows to entice viewers to watch that network's TV channel. Radio broadcasters often run contests where a listener calls in when a specific song is playing to win a prize, thus enticing listeners to tune their radios to that specific station. In addition, contests are often used to entice consumers to buy one product over another. For example, fast food restaurants often sponsor contests whereby consumers get a free contest game piece when they purchase a specific item at the fast food restaurant, thus enticing consumers to patronize that restaurant.
Team or relay contests are also known in the art. In other team contests, multiple team members each attempt, but only one team member actually performs, a single objective. For example, at certain instances during the game show FAMILY FEUD®, each team member may submit a response, but only one team member's response is submitted to the show host. During the game show WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE, a contestant can ask a second individual for the answer to a question, but the contestant ultimately submits the response.
The advent of email, instant messaging, short message service (SMS) and other known data messaging services provide new interactive capabilities for personal communications and media delivery. For example, two or more personal digital assistants (PDAs) can each be used to play a peer-to-peer multiplayer game, communicating via each PDA's infrared communications port. In addition, mass media such as radio and television is becoming increasingly interactive. Digital TV is becoming more widespread and radio is routinely broadcast over alternative mediums, such as the Internet. In addition, the use of legacy methods such as SMS data messaging in wireless telecommunications networks is increasing.
However, there presently is no interactive game or contest for use with wireless telecommunications networks that allow contestants in a team or relay environment to take advantage of these newer messaging capabilities. Thus, it would be an advancement in the art to provide a method and system for playing a game over a communications network in which users could forward a game task to new players or respond to the task themselves. It would be a further advancement in the art to develop an interactive game played over a wireless communications network, and that can be adapted for play in a cross-media environment.